Can't exercise... feeling lost

VincitQuiSeVincit
VincitQuiSeVincit Posts: 285 Member
in Motivation and Support
I was on one hell of a roll the past 6 months, working out every single day, riding my bike to/from work, and going on hiking trips all Summer, as well as finally picking up running.
However, Ive recently learned I have arthritis in my knee, a discover that was made due to a strain on it because of the shin splints I totally ignored.
Exercise is off the menu for 2-4 weeks, pending Xrays to see how my legs is healing up...

Now what!?! I know my eating hasn't been great the past few weeks due to a lot of travelling, so I know I have to buckle down. But I have always relied on workouts as my motivation...a great workout keeps my eating on track because I don't want to undo all my hard work.
Anyone else have this issue? I can already feel my motivation to eat on track waning because my desire to eat well comes from a great workout. I do not want to fall into bad habits, but any advice or motivation is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Replies

  • Desterknee
    Desterknee Posts: 1,056 Member
    I pulled a muscle quite a few times from poor form when I first started lifting, so I can definitely feel your pain, even though knee arthritis is much more serious and limiting.

    Are there any isolated upper body work outs that are okay for you to do? I would think something like a seated shoulder press or curls or lat pull down would not affect your knees.

    As for motivation with regard to eating, well you still don't want to undo your hard work right? You know you have made progress since you've decided to change your life. Let that momentum carry you. This is just a minor set back. You need to rest your joints but you can still "level up" in nutrition areas. Make hitting your calories your goal. Focus on your macros.

    I have a person on my FL who was a runner and heavy lifter. She split open the top of her foot and was on crutches and bed rest for weeks... I think 8 weeks is the total time she has to be on bed rest. She couldn't move her body so she focused all her energy on eating well and has still be seeing results. It is possible!

    From her success story:
    On July 13, I sliced my foot open on the bottom of a metal bedframe and cut a tendon, sidelining myself. As I write this in September, I am still 90% on crutches. Over eight weeks have passed since my last workout, and yet my comprehension of weight loss gave me total confidence that I could go on bed rest, eat like I ate when I was working out, and yet continue to lose weight—six pounds so far, in fact. The continuing body fat reduction has just exposed the underlying muscle.
  • RunningGranny
    RunningGranny Posts: 35
    Make it a challenge to discover new ways to exercise. New modalities along with new low calorie and satisfying meals. Have fun with this down time. Research some isolation exercises, arm chair/wheel chair exercises, water exercises, etc. Research exercises for arthritis and design a routine for yourself. Take your measurements and take photos and set some temporary goals for the downtime such as increasing the number of chin ups you can do......... you will eventually have to learn to tailor your workouts to your dx so start now. You CAN DO THIS!
  • VincitQuiSeVincit
    VincitQuiSeVincit Posts: 285 Member
    Make it a challenge to discover new ways to exercise. New modalities along with new low calorie and satisfying meals. Have fun with this down time. Research some isolation exercises, arm chair/wheel chair exercises, water exercises, etc. Research exercises for arthritis and design a routine for yourself. Take your measurements and take photos and set some temporary goals for the downtime such as increasing the number of chin ups you can do......... you will eventually have to learn to tailor your workouts to your dx so start now. You CAN DO THIS!
    Im going to try to get to the gym and try some upper body stuff. I just have a "routine" and deviating from it is stressing me out
  • DJKrafty
    DJKrafty Posts: 5
    I know it's rough, I was sidelined with shin splints for a while too. I had to switch to low impact and it helped a lot, but with your knee, I'd say, take some time to walk whenever you can. Just stay moving is the best way to stay on top of it. Do you have a stretch routine that you do before workouts? I always stretch, even if I'm not going to run, just so I can stay flexible.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    ask about swimming too, good exercise, less joint impact

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